Hurst, John Herbert
Lieutenant Colonel John Herbert Hurst DSO - 36th Heavy Artillery Group
John was born on the 26th December 1869 in Teddington Middlesex England to John and Eliabeth Hurst, being one of five siblings in the family.
He was educatedat Shoreham Sussex the 1881 census listing him as a student at Protestant Grunen School Ponds House. He also studied at Queen Elizabeth Grammar School, Kingston-on-Thames.
He moved to Western Australia with his family in 1887. John's father worked in the building and architectural trade and it was through this that the family became acquainted with Joseph John Talbot Hobbs. (Later Lt General Sir Talbot Hobbs). John's sister Edith married Talbot Hobbs in 1890, and so Talbot was now John's Brother in law.
Both John and Talbot were interested in the Citizens Military Forces, with both serving in the Western Australian Colonial Artillery.
John Hurst was married on 28th March 1894 in Perth to Emma Florence Rostron and they had two children, Mary born 1895 and Rupert 1897.
During this time John and his father worked out of their office in Hay Street East Perth
John joined the freemasons in Perth 1896, and worked as an architect and builder in WA through to 1899/1900. He then joined the Australian permanent Forces and was commissioned as a Lieutenant in the Artillery.
It does not appear that John saw service in the Boer War, instead being on home service with the Coastal Artillery protecting the coast line around Fremantle and Perth.
In 1901 John was given a nice honour as he was chosen as one of the Western Australian officers for the contingent chosen to represent Western Australia at the opening of the first Federal Parliament in 1901.
After his return from Melbourne, John continued with his service in the Australian Permanent Forces. He was promoted to Captain in 1908 an then was sent to England for further study at the Royal British Artillery School in training in the use of Artillery in modern warfare. After returning to Australia in 1910, John was sent to Victoria and New South Wales where he had time in each state with their Artillery units.
In 1913 he was returned to WA and was placed in charge of the WA Coastal artillery positions around Fremantle Harbour. Based at Fremantle Artillery Barracks, pre WW1 and was the officer in charge of the barracks and forts at Fremantle. During this time he lived in the CO's cottage in Tuckfield Street Fremantle which was right next to the Fremantle Artillery Barracks.
When war was declared in 1914, the Officers and Men of the Australian Permanent Artillery were kept at their coastal bases due to the fear of the German Navy and the possibility that they may raid the Australian ports. However by 1915 this fear had abated and the experienced permanent Artillerymen were able to enlist for service overseas.
The Australian Permanent Artillery Officer and Men would help form the 36th Heavy Artillery Group. At Fremantle on the 1st June 1915, the Officers and men of the Garrison Artillery enlisted en masse. John was posted as an Officer in the 36th HAG.
The unit would form the 36th HAG HQ as well as the 54th & 55th Batteries. John was given command of the 55th Battery.
As the Artillerymen were all around Australia, they were gathered in Victoria for a few weeks of training as a unit before they would embark overseas. They embarked on the H.M.A.T. “Orsova” on the 17th July 1915. From September 1915 to February 1916 the men of the 36th Heavy Artillery Group trained in England in preparation for their service in England.
After arriving in England in September 1915, the men were disembarked and sent to the Artillery training Depot. They were initially stationed at Lydd, then Taunton in Somerset where they spent the Christmas of 1915. The men were then organised into the 54th and 55th Batteries of the 36th Heavy Artillery Group.
The photo below shows a section of the 36th HAG in England. Major John Hurst pictured in the 2nd row.
On February 27th 1916 John, as part of the 55th Battery, arrived at Boulogne France. They spent three days here and on March 7th left with their guns and travelled to Mont St Eloy near Arras where they went into billets. On March 16th 1916 the men of the 55th Battery of the Siege Brigade suffered their first casualties when the Germans shelled their billets at Mont St Eloy. Three of the Gunners were killed and fourteen were wounded. John came through this unscathed.
John was a Major when he arrived in France but was soon promoted to the rank of Lieutenant Colonel. After a few months in charge of the 36th Heavy Artillery Group he was transferred in July 1916 to the 22nd Field Artillery Brigade and led this unit during the Somme actions. John was in charge of this unit till December 1916. He was then transferred to the command of the 2nd Australian Division Ammunition Column for a short time while their CO was on leave.
John then returned to his original unit and commanded the 36th Heavy Artillery Group through 1917 until he was wounded in action on 23 September 1917 near Ypres. Fortunately the wound was not serious and he returned to his unit five days later.
During their time at Ypres, the 36th HAG sustained many casualties due to heavy German artillery fire. John led his unit with courage and they soon moved to Cambrai to support the British offensive taking place there through November and December 1917.
In January 1918 John was detached for special service with the Royal Flying Corps at Bertangles on the Somme. This lasted for a week and John was then sent to England to attend a Senior's Officer Course at Lydd. This course lasted for several weeks but by mid March 1918 he was back in France in charge of his unit.
John was in charge of his unit when the Germans broke through the British front. While the initial break through in France did not affect his unit, the Germans broke through in Belgium in April 1918 and John and his unit had to withdraw several of their guns quickly to avoid them being overrun and captured.
They then set up in Northern France and helped the British and Australians defend Northern France, and then later in 1918 the 36th Heavy artillery helped support the offensive in their sector with British and New Zealand infantry pushed the Germans back.
John was still in charge of the 36th Heavy Artillery Group when the Armistice was announced. John was given leave to England but when he returned to France he was detached for duty with the 5th Australian Division Headquarters. John's brother-in-law, Talbot Hobbs, had been the commander of the 5th Australian Division from 1916-1918 and had recently been appointed to command the Australian Corps when General Monash had been put in charge of the repatriation of the Australian soldiers.
John worked in France with the 5th Division till April 1919 when he returned to England. He then had a few months attached to the AIF HQ. On the 23rd July 1919 John boarded the transport ship Orsova and set sail for home, reaching Fremantle on the 28th August 1919.
On the 27th October 1919 John was officially discharged from the AIF but then resumed his role in charge of the Fremantle coastal defences.
For his Great War service, John was awarded the Distinguished Service Order (DSO), the Belgian Croix de Guerre, the Belgian Ordre de la Couronne and was Mentioned in Despatches twice.
His son Rupert had also served in the war and had risen to be a Lieutenant in the 5th Field Artillery Brigade. He had survived the war.
John had resumed being the Commanding officer in Fremantle and lived in Tuckfield St Fremantle through to 1921/22.
John was then posted over east to New South Wales as the chief instructor at the School of Artillery at Sydney. The Hurst family took up residence at Vaucluse Sydney.
After his time at the Artillery School, John was put on the unattached Officers list and then returned to work in the architectural field.
John died on the 7th July 1953 at Vaucluse New South Wales.